Come out like a Top Gun

I just watched this video below (don’t ask why) and something hit me about the structure of both music and video. They both go full throttle, travelling hell for leather. In the very first scene, a jet fighter takes off. We know this will be full on airforce porn. Secondly, Kenny Loggins’ song is breaking every speed limit to get to its chorus (0:29), which is pretty catchy and very repetitive.

Now here is my point: most YouTube pre-roll ads are unaltered television edits, and do the opposite. They build up slowly, and reveal the product after 0:05 – 0:10 at the earliest. The problem in this environment is, every user can skip an ad after 0:05.

Lesson for videos on online pre-roll? Better come out all guns blazing, like Maverick and Iceman. Edit the story so that the first scene gives viewers a jolt, by being funny, emotional, mysterious, suspenseful or shocking. And in under 5 seconds, make clear what this is all about. Or you risk that the whole ad gets fatally ejected like Goose.